Centre expects the high tomato prices to soften from December

The Centre on Friday said that the high tomato prices will fall from December onwards as arrivals in the North Indian states will begin, leading to an increase in its availability. 

“Tomato price is highly volatile as slight disruptions in supply chain or damage due to heavy rains results in spurt in prices. Conversely, bulk arrival and logistics problems have the potential of creating a situation of glut in the market and resultant dip in retail prices,” the ministry of agriculture said in a statement. 

It said that as per agriculture department, the estimated kharif production of tomatoes in the current year is 6.95 million tonnes while last year during the same period 7.01 million tonnes was produced.

Arrivals in November this year were only 1.96 million tonnes as compared to 2.13 million tonnes. 

Meanwhile, in case of onions, the government said that the rise in prices during October 2021 was substantially subsided and the level at present is below that of the retail prices in 2020 and also 2019. 

The all-India average retail price of Onion as on November 25 is Rs 39 a kg which is 32 per cent lower than that of the last year.